Spain advances new long-distance bus concession map with 22% fare cut and direct city routes
The Transport Ministry launched public consultation on 31 long-distance bus corridors, promising a 22% average fare reduction, maintaining all existing stops, and adding direct services between major cities despite objections from the competition watchdog.
What the new map includes
Transportes announced on 15 June that the remaining 31 corridors of the new state bus network will be released for public information. Together with three already approved links (Castro Urdiales–Bilbao, Madrid–Valencia, and Madrid–Zaragoza–Barcelona), the full map covers 34 corridors, 600 routes, 2,294 stops, and 1,682 municipalities, spanning 190,424 kilometres. Ministry estimates put annual passenger numbers above 30 million.
Tariffs and viability
A headline change is a projected 22% drop in average fares, translating to a standard rate of 0.06715 euros per passenger‑kilometre. Ten corridors with weaker demand will receive yearly state support of €8.6 million to keep services running. Routes will retain every current stop and frequency while adding direct connections between the largest cities to cut journey times.
The public bus system is what best knits our country together, because it reaches every corner.
The competition dispute
The concession model, in which a single operator holds an exclusive licence for each corridor, is facing strong pushback. The CNMC has argued that public‑service obligations should be reserved for routes the market cannot serve profitably and that the design of the tenders, large contract lots, vehicle requirements, and experience criteria, edges out smaller rivals. Sector sources told La Razón the terms are “condemned to be judicialised.”
This map respects and keeps all current stops and frequencies and adds direct routes between the biggest cities to make travel faster.
Next steps
The anteproyectos will appear shortly in the BOE, triggering a 30‑working‑day consultation. Following review of submissions, the definitive plan goes to the Council of Ministers for approval. The government’s target is to have the entire map sanctioned before the end of 2026.
